February 21, 2014

Combine profile: Alabama OT Cyrus Kouandjio

Name: Cyrus Kouandjio

Position: Offensive tackle

Height/weight: 6-7/322

School/Class: Alabama/Junior

Projected round: 1st-2nd

Career highlights: A first-team All-American at Alabama, Kouandjio was responsible for pocket passer A.J. McCarron’s blind side, and he protected well in 26 starts. It’s tough to assess how much Kouandjio benefitted from great running backs and great fellow linemen, but no doubt he was one of the best in the nation at his position.

Did you know?: He’s fluent in French and was 4 years old when he immigrated from Cameroon.

Quotes: “I actually played right tackle all of my high school career, and I played left tackle all college career, so it doesn’t make any difference to me.

“I worked on my pass protection this year. Last year I worked on my run block and it was dominant. I think I’m pretty dominant on both run and pass.”

Panthers’ level of interest: Today, Feb. 21, I’m going on record as saying Kouandjio will be Carolina’s first-round pick. His size, arms and experience on winning football teams while playing against top competition have to be a draw for the Panthers, who do not have a starting left tackle on their current roster. Even if Jordan Gross returns, it’d likely be for a year, and they’ll be in the same position in 2015. Plus, his experience playing both tackle positions would allow him to push Byron Bell for the right tackle spot even if Gross returns. That, of course, doesn’t mean Kouandjio doesn’t have his drawbacks. He didn’t look good in Alabama’s loss to Oklahoma, and he tore his ACL less than three years ago.

--Jonathan Jones

Posted by Observer Sports on February 21, 2014 at 06:39 PM | Permalink

Comments

(WR)like to see panthers get kelvin Benjanmian ALLEN ROBINSON -PENN STATE OR JORDAN MATTHEWS-VANDERBILT -THESE (WR)OR TALL EOUGHT FOR CAM CAN THROW BALL TO OR FOR THE SMALL (WR)ARE FAST HAVE SPEED LIKE BRANDIN COOKS OR ODELL BECKAM OR JARVIS LANDY.LIKE to see panthers get to good (WR) this year from draft.

Posted by: rob | Feb 26, 2014 12:51:56 AM

panthers need very good cornerback like this victor Hampton-s.carolina need to look at him Aaron Colvin-OU OR BASHAUD BEELAND-CLEMSON OR DEXTOR MCDOUGLE-MARYLAND OR DONALD CELISCAR-W.MICHIGAN OR DONTAC JOHNSON-NCSU OR MARCUS ROBERSON -FLORIDA

Posted by: rob | Feb 26, 2014 2:13:36 AM

RUNNING BACK LIKE ONE ANDRE WILLIAMS OR BISHOP SNAKEY ORCHARLES SIM OR LACHE SEASTRUNK OR K.A DEEN CAREY .

Posted by: rob | Feb 26, 2014 2:17:33 AM

GAVE THESE KIDS A LOOK OVER BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD TO AT THESE SCHOOL. I LIKE THIS KID TO HAVE A SHOT AT THE PANTHERS CB DRAFT QUA COX AT JACKSON ST. HERE SOME RB COMING OUT THESE SCHOOL FOR THE DRAFT 2014
FOR RUNNING BACK SAM O JURI -NORTH DAKOTA ST OR LORENZO TALILAFERO - COASTAL CAROLINA OR MATT HAZEL (WR) COSTAL CAROLINDA.